Browsing by Author "Makundi, R. H."
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Item Breeding dynamics of rodent species inhabiting farm–fallow mosaic fields in Central Tanzania(2012-04) Massawe, A. W.; Makundi, R. H.; Mulungu, L. S.; Katakweba, A.; Shayo, T. N.The breeding dynamics of three species of rodents, Mastomys natalensis, Aethomys chrysophilus and Gerbilliscus vicina were investigated in a seasonal environment (wet versus dry) in Berega in the eastern parts of central Tanzania. Berega has a distinct unimodal rainfall pattern, with most rainfall from November to April/May. We hypothesized that breeding of rodents in central Tanzania would be confined to the wet season, when unlimited resources would be available for reproduction. We provide evidence of breeding discontinuity in the three species, showing that breeding was seasonally restricted to the wet season and early in the dry season. The observed discontinuity could largely be ascribed to variation in primary productivity between the wet and dry seasons. Reproductively active females were found in the population as early as November, a month into the rainy season, but when early rains occurred, some individuals were already breeding in October. Breeding was more intensive in the latter part of the wet season (March–May) and completely ceased during the dry season. For M. natalensis, survival was highest in the wet period and low in the dry season. The study provides knowledge on the breeding dynamics of rodents in central Tanzania, which can help farmers to take proactive rodent management decisions to prevent high rodent densities and reduce crop damage in the fields. Application of control measures by the community early in the season when populations of reproductive females is lowest will be most rewarding.Item Cytotaxonomy of rodent species from Ethiopia, Kenya, Tanzania and Zambia(Belg. J. Zool, 2005) Corti, M.; Castiglia, R.; Colangelo, P.; Capanna, E.; Beolchini, F.; Bekele, A.; Oguge, N. O.; Makundi, R. H.; Sichilima, A. M.; Leirs, H.; Verheyen, W.; Verhagen, R.An extended survey of taxa belonging to two genera of Cricetomyinae (Cricetomys and Saccostomus), one Gerbillinae (Gerbilliscus), eight Murinae (Acomys, Aethomys, Arvicanthis, Lemniscomys, Mus (Nannomys), Mastomys, Grammomys, Stenocephalemys) and one Myoxidae (Graphiurus) was carried out as part of the EU programme “Staplerat” involving Ethiopia, Kenya, Tanzania and Zambia. Here we report the diploid and autosomal fundamental numbers of these rodent taxa. Seventeen of them were unknown, for four we report chromosomal variants and for another 16 new localities where they occur. We discuss their specific status taking into consideration our results together with data from literature and highlight the problems in taxonomy and systematics that are yet to be solved, due do their extended range and the occurrence of species complexes. We highlight cases for which there should be a re-evaluation of specific names that were not included in the last rodent checklist.Item A systematic review of rodent pest research in Afro-Malagasy small-holder farming systems: are we asking the right questions?(PLOS ONE, 2017) Swanepoel, L. H.; Swanepoel, C. M.; Brown, P. R.; Eiseb, S. J.; Goodman, S. M.; Keith, M.; Kirsten, F.; Leirs, H.; Mahlab, T. A. M.; Makundi, R. H.; Malebane, P.; Maltitz, E. F.; Massawe, A. W.; Monadjem, A.; Mulungu, L. S.; Singleton, G. R.; Taylor, P. J.; Soarimalala, V.; Belmain, S. R.Rodent pests are especially problematic in terms of agriculture and public health since they can inflict considerable economic damage associated with their abundance, diversity, generalist feeding habits and high reproductive rates. To quantify rodent pest impacts and identify trends in rodent pest research impacting on small-holder agriculture in the Afro-Malagasy region we did a systematic review of research outputs from 1910 to 2015, by developing an a priori defined set of criteria to allow for replication of the review process. We followed the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses guidelines. We reviewed 162 publications, and while rodent pest research was spatially distributed across Africa (32 countries, including Madagascar), there was a disparity in number of studies per country with research biased towards four countries (Tanzania [25%], Nigeria [9%], Ethiopia [9%], Kenya [8%]) accounting for 51% of all rodent pest research in the Afro-Malagasy region. There was a disparity in the research themes addressed by Tanzanian publications compared to publications from the rest of the Afro-Malagasy region where research in Tanzania had a much more applied focus (50%) compared to a more basic research approach (92%) in the rest of the Afro-Malagasy region. We found that pest rodents have a significant negative effect on the Afro-Malagasy small-holder farming communities. Crop losses varied between cropping stages, storage and crops and the highest losses occurred during early cropping stages (46% median loss during seedling stage) and the mature stage (15% median loss). There was a scarcity of studies investigating the effectiveness of various management actions on rodent pest damage and population abundance. Our analysis highlights that there are inadequate empirical studies focused on developing sustainable control methods for rodent pests and rodent pests in the Africa-Malagasy context is generally ignored as a research topicItem Winning the fight against rodent pests: Recent developments in Tanzania(Asian Network for Scientific Information, 2010) Mulungu, L. S.; Ngowo, D. V.; Makundi, R. H.; Massawe, A. W.; Leirs, H.Rodent management programs in Tanzania have been reactive and did not consider the population ecology of the target species. The strategies used to manage rodents were probably most suited to managing low-density rodent populations and were selected to solve localised rodent problems in certain areas. These included bounty schemes, burning of homes and vegetation, trapping and poisoning. In recent years, new developments in rodent pest management include a system designed to provide early warning of potent damage. An understanding of the population processes that give rise to rodent pest's problems provides the framework for evaluating the causes and solutions. Population models for predicting outbreaks have been developed. These have incorporated simulations and aspects of economics in the implementation of control strategies. Simulation based on Bioeconomics models have shown that the most economically rewarding strategies differ significantly from current practices of symptomatic treatment when severe rodent damage is noticed in the fields. Therefore, shifting from symptomatic practices and controlling rodents on a calendar basis can substantially improve the economic conditions for the majority of maize products in Tanzania.